


All Time Low

by irradiations



Series: The Illuminated Sequence [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-09
Updated: 2010-09-09
Packaged: 2017-10-11 15:00:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/113674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irradiations/pseuds/irradiations
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor's been keeping a secret that Jack finally uncovers. Of course, then they have to make up after their fight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All Time Low

**Author's Note:**

> Title:- All Time Low  
> Author:- celuthea  
> Fandom:- Doctor Who  
> Characters/Pairing:- Captain Jack Harkness/The Doctor (10)  
> Rating:- R  
> Genre:- Romance  
> Spoilers:- For series 3 of Torchwood, CoE  
> Warnings:- Sex  
> Prompt:- [info]lover100 , Table A, Prompt 88; Fight.  
> Summary:- The Doctor's been keeping a secret that Jack finally uncovers. Of course, then they have to make up after their fight.  
> Disclaimer:- Both Jack and the Doctor belong to the BBC and their respective copyright holders. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.  
> Notes:- Title from the wonderful song, All Time Low by The Wanted (video).
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Praying won't do it  
> Hating won't do it  
> Drinking won't do it  
> Fighting won't knock you out  
> Of my head
> 
> Hiding won't hide it  
> Smiling won't hide it  
> Like I ain't tried it  
> Everyone's tried it now  
> And failed somehow  
> All Time Low – The Wanted

Jack was pretty sure this hadn't come up yet. He idly tried to remember whether this conversation had been had, while he sat and looked at the small photograph on the screen and wondered how he should feel. He was never sure how people expected him to feel after someone he loved died; he'd seen the range of grief from friends over the years, from screaming tantrums to dissociative behaviour, and somehow, none of them seemed strong enough right now.

 

The photograph was a still taken from a CCTV camera located in Thames House. Jack could see himself and Ianto running through the atrium, and, in the background, the Doctor was watching. He looked almost upset, and seemed to be watching a pocket watch which was in his hand.

 

Jack flicked to the next still frame. From the time stamp, he knew it was shortly after the 456 had released the gas into the air, and the Doctor was gone. There were people laying on the marble floor of the atrium, clutching their throats, and he was just... Gone.

 

Sure, what he was thinking was probably irrational and unfair and all the other stuff that kept people quiet, but he had to know. If he knew, he could deal with it.

 

The door of the TARDIS opened and the Doctor stepped in, brushing dust off his suit jacket. "Proper bananas! Fresh from Columbia, none of that Tesco's imported rubbish. Of course I do like their midget gems, but-" He stopped, placing the cluster of yellow fruit onto a nearby ledge and feeling like there was a storm cloud in the TARDIS.

 

"Were you there?" The Doctor frowned, all joviality gone from his face and demeanour at Jack's vague question.

 

"Where?" Jack pointed at the screen and the Doctor, not wanting to get any closer to the softly simmering Jack, squinted slightly and looked at the indicated picture. "Jack-"

 

"Were. You. There." Jack was almost shouting, holding back his voice shakily and with obvious effort. The Doctor calculated his response, and nodded almost imperceptibly. "Then, did you know that Ianto would... Did you know what would happen?"

 

"You know that even if I did know, I couldn't have stopped you." Jack got up then, and the Doctor took a small step back as though retreating from a wild and vicious animal. Jack looked like a cross between a raging tiger and something softer that may break at the slightest breeze.

 

"But you did know." Jack was moving forwards now, purposeful strides like now his anger had wholly consumed that fragile part. The Doctor stepped back until his back pressed against the cool wood of the TARDIS doors. "You knew."

 

"I knew." It came out as a whisper, barely audible over the usual humming and thrumming of the TARDIS, but Jack heard, and it paused him in his steps.

 

"Then-" Jack's voice wobbled, and he swallowed to steady it again. "Why, why did you let us go in there? Not me, but... Ianto. Why?" The Doctor started to speak but became aware that there was no answer he could give that was adequate to the gravity of the question.

 

"Because I can't change everything. I can't save everyone, even the people I love," he answered eventually, proud that he was able to hold eye contact with Jack as he spoke. "I'm sor-"

 

"Please, don't." Jack turned away and picked up a cup, hurling it across the room until it clattered against the far wall with a satisfying noise that seemed to echo forever. The Doctor watched Jack go to the ledge he'd been sitting on and put his back to the Doctor, who just stood there, frozen, for a few minutes. Jack's shoulders hunched over, his face in his hands and, the Doctor guessed, tears trickling down his face.

 

The Doctor took a deep breath then crossed the room, over the console, until he was standing behind Jack, who appeared to be ignoring his presence. He went closer, crouching down beside Jack and wrapping an arm around him, so when Jack lashed out the Doctor was taken by surprise and wound up splayed on the floor. "You knew how much I cared about Ianto, and you knew he was going to die, and still you let it happen. I just-" Jack paused, then felt all the fight drain away as the Doctor stood up, stepped closer and took one of Jack's hands.

 

"I'm so sorry." Jack nodded, pursing his lips as though keeping from erupting into tears was the hardest thing he would ever do. Jack nodded and pulled the Doctor to him, the two hugging tightly. Jack pulled back far enough to catch the Doctor's lips, kissing him bruisingly hard, hands frantically working loose his tie and jacket, tossing them over his shoulder. "What-"

 

"Shut up," Jack cut in, then took over the Doctor's lips again preventing further stupid statements. His nimble fingers worked loose his shirt, hands delving into those far-too-tight suit trousers, cupping his butt-cheeks and pulling him closer still, nibbling down his neck and onto the top of his shoulder, the Doctor's head tilting back with his eyes closed, his breathing getting heavier.

 

His breath caught as Jack's fingers closed around his cock, gently rolling back and forth until he was sure Jack was being evil on purpose, then they sped up, the combination of Jack nibbling on his neck, and his hand moving faster...

 

He came, shuddering and gasping for air and glad that Jack took most of his weight, holding him up just as his legs remembered what they should have been doing. They stood there, locked in an embrace neither wanted to break until Jack spoke. "I know." The Doctor opened his eyes experimentally, making eye contact with Jack. "I know you're sorry, and it's okay, because..." Jack paused again, building his courage to a useful level before continuing. "I'll always love Ianto, but I love you just as much."

 

"I love you, too. You know I can't change things like that; they have to happen as they should." The Doctor was pleased with how controlled his voice sounded, considering his softening cock was still held in Jack's sticky-warm palm. Jack glanced up, eyes slightly gleaming in a thoroughly dashing way.

 

"That's why I forgive you."


End file.
